By Jordan Hollingsworth
I’m going to Minneapolis this week because what’s happening there feels consequential, and I want to be present rather than watching from a distance. It makes a difference to be present. The federal surge that descended on the Minneapolis—ICE and Border Patrol outnumbering local law enforcement, militarized tactics far from any border—was never just about immigration. It was about intimidation. Minneapolis has become the bitter cold anvil where the ICE hammer came down, and also the place where people decided they would not be frozen into silence.
First: Minneapolis is the symbolic and literal epicenter.
We Californians know about epicenters. When a city becomes the focus of national attention—after Operation Metro Surge, after high-profile killings by federal agents, after weeks of occupation—it gathers heft. If the federal actions were really about immigration enforcement, the spotlight would on Texas, Arizona, or Florida. But Minneapolis is blue and diverse and has a tradition of tolerance. Being present there is a way to say what’s unfolding is an alarm we all hear. I want to stand in solidarity with my friends in Minneapolis.
Second: I’m going to learn from a broad coalition in motion.
Minneapolis isn’t improvising from scratch (see this report in The Big Picture substack). Immigrant rights groups, unions, faith leaders, parents, students—people who already knew how to show up—have braided the skills learned in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing into something even more powerful. ICE Watch, neighborhood patrols, food delivery networks, rides to school and medical appointments: this is resistance built on care. I want to be a small pillar in the bridge Minneapolis is building; I want to watch how that infrastructure works, how it sustains people under pressure, and how it can be adapted here.
Third: I believe in being there to bear witness.
I’m a writer who is also trained in search and rescue. I was reminded this summer in speeches by Sandra Cisneros and Gina Ortiz Jones, the mayor of San Antonio, that writers matter in times like this. Our job is to record what power would rather blur. I’m going to observe, to report, to blow a whistle when needed, and to make sure names and stories don’t disappear.
Fourth: Minneapolis offers proof that “We Keep Us Safe” is best practice.
What gives me hope isn’t only anger or outrage; it’s the antidote being made in real time. Parents organizing carpools so kids can get to school. Neighbors delivering groceries to families too afraid to leave home. Volunteers learning childcare safety so schools can stay open. Watching it happen reminds the rest of us what’s possible when we center care over fear.
Fifth: Because sometimes support requires an advance, not a retreat.
Yes, there’s work to do at home—especially in red regions like ours, represented by officials who polish detention centers into vacation resorts (see Representative Obernolte’s statement on the Adelanto detention facility on Instagram). We can still keep our neighbors safe, warm, and fed wherever we live. But there are moments when you go to the place where it hurts most, where the lesson is sharpest. A friend from Minneapolis went home through blizzards because her community needed her. I understand that pull. Plus I have a parka, woolly mittens, and sturdy boots.
I’m going to Minneapolis not just to protest, but to stand alongside people who are building the infrastructure of dignity under siege. Let our love be stronger than their hate. Let our unity be louder than their fear.
Resource lists:
Local
Observer trainings through No Kings: check back for future events.
National Day Laborers Organizing Network out of Pasadena suggests an Adopt a Corner program to protect workers.
resist_29 is monitoring Flock cameras, hosts a monthly free potluck and more
Democrats of the Morongo Basin lists resources and actions
The ACLU remains essential, including their People Power campaign
Minnesota-specific
Stand with Minneapolis includes links to daily Gofundme campaigns, Monarca rapid response, an emergency legal fund for Afghan and Syrian detainees, food support, and pet and animal support.
The Sanneh Foundation provides food to immigrants and the unhoused
You Can Help master list on Reddit
How to help if you are outside Minnesota
Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition
Although Desert Trumpet policy requires editorials to be signed, the author is known to staff, and we have agreed to a pseudonym for reasons of safety.
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